High Court To Decide If Autistic Boy's Parents Need Lawyer To Sue

February 26, 2007 at 3:33 PM EST - Updated July 1 at 7:55 PM

PARMA, Ohio (AP) - School officials in the Cleveland suburb ofParma argue that if the U-S Supreme Court allows the parents of anautistic boy to sue the district without an attorney, districtsnationwide will be inundated with frivolous lawsuits.

But the Bush administration backs the boy's family, saying it'sa necessary consequence of a right to self-representation thatCongress intended for parents of disabled students.

The Supreme Court takes up the case of Jacob Winkelman onTuesday, hearing only the narrow issue of whether an attorney isneeded -- not whether the public schools should be forced to payfor private education for the nine-year-old.

His parents say they can't afford an attorney to argue theircourt case against Parma schools.